A Look at Back Acne and What You Can Do About It

Have you ever been embarrassed to go to the pool or take your shirt off in a basketball game because of your back acne? Acne is an all too common issue for adults and teens.  The most common perception of acne is that it occurs on the face, which is the most obvious and visible location.  But, if you have acne, you know that it can occur in several spots like on your chest and back.

Since your chest and back are often covered by clothes, experiencing more irritation from the rubbing of fabric against the outbreak can be annoying or even painful. To the outside observer, chest and back acne are not as obvious , but it is still quite annoying for those who suffer from it.  And to add further problems to an already difficult issue, chest and back acne can often be more difficult to treat than the acne that you get on your face.  Unfortunately, the traditional face blemish treatments that you can buy for your face often won’t work as effectively, or at all, for the acne on areas other than the face.

It’s important to have a daily treatment regimen for your back acne, just as you would for your facial acne.  the most common routine includes a cleanser followed with a moisturizer.  Because of where it is located, it is more difficult to apply medication to your back acne which means you may need to enlist the help of a family member or a special  applicator.

Keep in mind that the type of clothing you wear could be aggravating your back acne.  Rough materials or tight-fitting shirts rub against the skin, irritating zits  and increasing oil production, resulting in more breakouts.  Be aware of the type of detergent and fabric softeners that you use.  Doctors always insist that new parents use special detergent on babies clothes because they can have a sensitivity to the fragrance in the detergent. This same fragrance can irritate back acne as well, so you may need to change your detergent to a different brand or even one of the dye and fragrance free varieties. Don’t underestimate this remedy, it really can make a huge difference.

Be aware of what you carry on your back as well. Heavy backpacks or hiking packs can make back acne conditions worse.  If you are seeing an increase in the number of breakouts along your shoulder or back where the pack straps fit, you may need to find a different carry option for a period of time.  A shoulder bag can help in the interim.  Once you have successfully treated and eliminated the breakouts, you can go back to using your standard backpack again.

A dermatologist can help you with treatment of back acne.  First your doctor will determine how bad a case you have,  mild, moderate, or severe.  You may also need to have your skin type evaluated to see if you have oily, dry, or combination skin.  Your dermatologist will also want to hear a history of the acne condition, such as how long you have had it and how frequent your outbreaks occur. Any past history of skin conditions that you have suffered from are important to share with your dermatologist.  All of this allows them to determine the best treatment to cure your acne for good.